The term “steering performance” (or simply “steering”) refers to a vehicle driver's feeling that a vehicle's steering (and/or “handling”) is responsive to movement of the steering wheel. The better the steering performance, the better the driver's “feeling” of having control over the vehicle's steering. Because it relates to a “feeling” on the part of a driver, steering performance is essentially a subjective evaluation of a vehicle's steering. Steering performance can change over time, mainly deteriorating as components in the vehicle steering system wear, age, or suffer damage. Steering system components include the steering wheel, the tires and wheels, and everything in between such as the steering box, any power assist components, and linkages and joints. Steering performance can also vary with operating conditions, including, for example, road texture, vehicle speed, steering wheel settings, minor tire inflation pressure changes, and tire/wheel uniformity changes (e.g., balance).
Steering performance loss is mostly a concern in passenger vehicles with pneumatic tires and power assisted steering (power steering), although the phenomenon has also been observed in passenger vehicles without power steering. Although a trained driver can determine steering performance at virtually any vehicle speed, the steering performance (and therefore a change in performance, e.g., SP-Loss) is most noticeable above a certain vehicle speed threshold. Even though SP-Loss is generally a change over time, it can be practically instantaneous. In regards to tires and the steering performance of a vehicle, the ideal tire is one in which any steering performance change is reduced or eliminated if possible, creating a more stabile tire performance.